Bako Sunday, Usman Aminu, Paul O. Yahaya, , Mohammed B. Ndaliman
A brake is a friction device for converting the power of momentum or kinetic energy of a moving vehicle into heat energy by means of friction, thereby decelerating the motion of the vehicle. The heat energy is to be dissipated rapidly in order to control brake fade and brake failure. This can be subdue on brake drums, by providing cooling fins (extended surface) on the outer surface of the brake drums. This paper presents the development and analysis of a modified brake drum model having extended surface (fins) along its circumference. The fins or extended surface are designed to improve the heat dissipation rate from the surface of the brake drums which are convectively cooled by the streams of air flowing on its outer surface. One-fourth of the overall height thickness of the original brake drum model was converted into fins. The simulation carried out on the original and the modified models, shows that the modified brake drum model has a higher circumferential strength and better heat dissipation than the original brake drum model.